


It's a Long Story

by AlmaraKasada



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Based Off "Interview With The Vampire", Being Rewritten, F/M, First Person, Long, War, third person
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-21
Packaged: 2018-09-01 03:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8605702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmaraKasada/pseuds/AlmaraKasada
Summary: She had been around a long time. When the young boy came at her with his sword, she sidestepped. It was a move that every recruit made. He ended up on the ground like the rest of them. She knelt down beside him, shaking her head."You want to be a soldier. Learn when to attack and when to wait," she sighed, "If you want to learn to fight, I'll teach you. But you have to be willing to learn, Stormcloak."He kicked at her, sending her to her back. He sprang to his feet and climbed over on top of her to get his sword which had been knocked away, but froze when he felt the dagger against his thigh."Bad move. You also need to know when to let you opponent hit you so you can hit them harder," she smirked.





	1. A Vampire Walks into a Bar...

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place between the events of Oblivion and Skyrim. While unintentional, I just realized that it is extremely similar to Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" in the way that it is literally a vampire telling her life story. This is an idea I've been working on in different forms for years now (like a champ) and have not nearly perfected it in this, but it's certainly the best version of the story I've written so far. Anyways, hope you enjoy. Unlike some of my other stories, this one has been planned out (down to actual dates with correct days). Anyways, I hope you like it! Enjoy!

She seemed like nobility. She strode into the room elegantly with nearly perfect posture; her back slightly arched, her head up, and her steps evenly placed apart. Vekel watched her carefully. He assumed someone like her found herself down her meeting someone. Selling out a wealthy relative or looking for revenge on another, richer noble. But she came right up to the bar and sat alone.  
He served her a drink. She ordered wine, which he served her in a tankard. He examined her reaction, but she didn’t seem to think too much of it. It wasn’t long before curiosity got the better of him.  
“Where are you from, traveler?” he asked her.  
  
It took her a moment to look up, as though she wasn’t expecting to be talked to. She simply scowled.  
  
“Apologies. But you’re in my bar,” he said, “Don’t sit here if you don’t want to be bothered.”  
  
She sighed, “It’s fine,” she replied. She sounded tired. “It’s just been a long…when a long while. And it’s not a short story.”  
  
“I find the best stories are the long ones,” he noted as he began to wipe down the area of the bar next to her.  
  
“Alright. Well, originally, I’m from Cyrodiil. Most recently, From Windhelm.”  
  
“Cyrodiil to Windhelm. That’s quite a long ways.”  
  
"A lot longer than you'd think."  
  
"If you want to talk about it, I'm all ears."  
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."  
  
"There's a lot of strange people that come in and out of here. Try me."  
  
She smiled a solemn little grin and took a drink of her wine. "Alright, let's start out crazy, then. Would you believe me if I told you I was born in 4E45?"  
  
"Let's say I did. I've heard crazier."  
  
"Alright then. I was born in 4E 45 to two Imperial nobles in the Imperial City. Nothing too special. Lord and Lady Celinius. And I was the young Lady Celinius their first and only child.  
  
"I had a good life. As good a life as any young noble could have. I was taught to read, to write, to sing, play instruments, recite poetry from memory. I was trained with a bow, the weapon my father deemed 'ladylike,' and eventually taught twelve different ways to kill a man with a dagger, something my mother deemed necessary. At the time, I didn't think I'd ever need these skills, and dedicated my time to playing and creating.  
  
"My childhood was good. There was the occasional hiccup here and there. On a trip to Black Marsh, I watched my best friend drown in the marsh while trying to impress my pretty cousin and me. My father was once so drunk he didn't remember that I was his child and left me at a party. That was fine as my uncle brought me home. And I was safe among the nobility.  
  
"My life took a turn when I was married off in 4E 65. I had just barely turned twenty. The young man was the son of a count. Not his heir, but wealthy nonetheless. And I was a child told by her father that she had to marry this man. So I did.  
  
"His name was Consory Aracio. Lord Consory Aracio. Of Bravil. He was maybe twice my age and, gods, was he ugly. He had this beard that he shaved off in the middle, but left a bushy mustache, but kept the rest trimmed," the woman laughed, "I think he was trying to make a fashion statement. Be known for something but, by the nine, he looked like an imbecile! Even then, I thought this was ridiculous, but didn't dare say anything. I remained a pretty wife to him.  
  
"The first year was, well, good. He had a temper, but I mostly saw him take it out of servants who would somehow mess up while working. I thought this was all alright. A year after, I was pregnant. I gave birth to a baby boy. We...well, we never named him. He wasn't breathing when he was born. My husband blamed me. And we grew apart quickly. He began to drink. And turns out he was an angry drunk. His rage turned towards me.  
  
"It was less than a year later when he beat me so hard that I lost the second child. I never told anyone it was because he hit me. I said it was because I had a fall. I was miserable. I had no idea what to do with myself. That year, my parents died, too.  
  
"Finally, on the 13th of Frostfall, 4E 67, I had a child. A baby girl. We named her Alcena. I was so happy. My husband, less so. He wanted a son and I know more than a small part of him never forgave me for delivering a stillborn. And it was soon clear that our daughter was...sick. She was frail and meager and didn't seem to listen. She frustrated Consory. Everything seemed to frustrate my husband. She wasn't even two when Consory came home in a drunken fit.  
  
"I remember it all remarkably well. I was feeding Alcena late at night. She had awoken and began to cry. I was attempting to hush her and comfort her. I loved my baby. I was her mother after all.  
  
"We had a fireplace I was sitting by. It was barely smoldering, but still just barely warm. It was one of the rare occasions I felt completely at peace.  
  
"It didn't last long. Alcena had just stopped crying when the door swung open with a tremendous clatter. My husband stumbled in, smelling like a tavern and looking like a beggar. It was clear to me he had been gambling again. Despite our lavish house, we really didn't have all that much money. I worked on the side to fund his habits. And that day I remember being even more afraid than normal as the mill had just fired me.  
  
"But that doesn't matter. Consory came home and startled our daughter. She began to cry again.  
  
"'Doesn't the little goblin ever stop shrieking?' Consory growled.  
  
"'She's simply frightened, love,' I said, 'babes are frightened so easily.'  
  
"'The little bastard of yours is nearly two. She shouldn't be frightened of her own father. Or so you tell me.'  
  
"'She is yours, I swear to the nine! I haven't had anyone but you, love.'  
  
"'I'd never create something like that. And if she is mine than you're a witch. And you should burn!'  
  
"'Stop it with this nonsense! You're a drunk.'  
  
"'And you're a witch.'  
  
"'If I was a witch, I'd turn you into a meet and take Alce where you couldn't get your slimy newt feet on her. A newt suits you more than a man.'  
  
"'Are you threatening me, witch?' He then lunged at me yelling 'burn the witch! I married a witch!' He yanked Alcena out of my arms, thrashing her about. The poor girl was screaming. As he grabbed me with the hand that held our daughter, I began to scream for help. With one final yell of 'burn the gods forsaken witch!' He pushed me into the still burning cinders of the fire.  
  
"Needless to say, the embers were not enough to burn me alive and I hardly get anything at the time. It was recovering from the shock that took everything out of me.  
  
"In the meantime, Alcena was screaming and crying. Consory was yelling at her to shut up, covering her face with his hand. He took a step backwards and drunkenly fell over, dropping the baby as he did so. I remember watcher her body fall limp to the ground. I watched it begging the gods to let her breathe. But she wasn't breathing. She was still. And I knew he had killed her.  
  
"In a panic, I got up and ran out the door into the storm that was brewing. I was screaming for help. A tall man in noble clothes came running out of a nearby lodge and ran to me asking me what was wrong. I don't remember what I said, but it was something about my baby being dead. He scooped me up and carried me inside out of the rain. My husband was screaming from the streets for me. I remember begging the man not to let him in.  
  
"The next morning, the man asked me what had happened and I told him the whole story. It was only after I was finished when he told me his name. Lerian Bell. He was a noble, but I was unclear of how. He went by 'Lord Bell,' though.  
  
"I thanked him for his help and asked him what I should do. He told me the logical thing would be to notify the guards, but it was unlikely that Consory would be kept there. I knew he was right. My murderous husband would simply take it out on me. And then Lerian offered me something interesting. He said to me, 'What if I can offer you...justice.'  
  
"When he said it, he had this terrible smile. I knew he meant murder. And at the time, that's what I wanted more than anything. I agreed. He told me that the only way he could ensure my safety was if I agreed to marry him after. And I did.  
  
"And that, barkeep, is how I became a vampire."  
  
"Vampire?" Vekel looked her over, "You don't look like a vampire."  
  
"I decided to cure myself. Not that long ago. A year, perhaps. I don't intend to stay mortal but every so often, taking a few years to enjoy the sun has its benefits."  
  
"I suppose so. So that explains the age." Lilice took another sip of her wine.  
  
"So you killed the bastard, right?" the Redguard woman sitting a few seats down asked.  
  
"Tonilia, I think I've forced enough out of our friend as it is," Vekel asked.  
  
"Oh, but now I'm curious. You gonna finish what you started, sweetheart?"


	2. Lady of the Court

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on posting short chapters to make this easier to read and easier to write. I'm going to post fairly often, but in short bursts, however, every chapter will have something happen that is hopefully a little entertaining. Enjoy!

Lilace looked towards Tonila and gave her a small, shy smile. “Alright then,” she continued, “Lerian changed me into a vampire. The transformation took three days, but my future husband was there for all of it. He took care of me. He nurtured me. It’s something I didn’t understand at the time, but I do now. When you turn someone into a vampire, that is no small thing. You have to make sure that what you’re doing is right. Unless you just don’t care. But it was clear that Lerian did. He had loved me for a long time. Longer than I could have known then. He may have been following me for many years. He may have even been there since my birth. Gods know he was old enough. I believe it turned out that he had been a vampire for a good sixty years before that.  
  
“He spoke about things he remembered, like the Oblivion Crisis and the eruption of the Red Mountain. Things that I found amazing then and only come to truly appreciate now. But you don’t need to hear about Lerian now.  
  
“What happened to me when I awoke on that third day was that Lerian had me consume the blood of a wench he had used his vampiric powers on. I remember being so afraid of this, but oddly comforted by him. He stroked my hair as I sunk my new fangs into her neck. The first time a vampire consumes blood is…strange. It’s like drinking alcohol. There is a warmth there and a sudden feeling of joy. And Lerian was my knight in shining armor for introducing me to this world. I remember trying to kiss him then but he placed a finger to my lips and told me that I had a husband. And suddenly, all of the rage I had felt boiled up inside of me. I was furious. My daughter was dead. I had put up with so much abuse for so long and this monster killed my daughter. And at that moment, I realized I was now the monster.  
  
“During this time in my life, I was far less confident in my abilities. I was far less confident in myself. I was twenty-five and I was going to live forever, but inside, I was still a child whose parents were killed and had lost her way. Needless to say, I was far less dramatic than I am now.  
  
“When I killed my husband, I gave him a much quicker death than he deserved. That night, I returned home to find the house a mess. Consory was there, drinking, as usual. I did a quick loop around the kitchen to see the cupboards just about empty and plates left out. Several things were broken, probably from my husband drunkenly shambling about. And when he saw me, he actually acted happy to see me. ‘Oh, darling, I was so worried!’ ‘You know better than to wander around on your own, shame on you.’ ‘Don’t you worry. All is forgiven.’ And today I have thoughts like how I would have replied. Something like, ‘The gods don’t forgive infanticide and neither will I,’ or ‘you broke this family. I’m going to break _you_.’ But, alas, I didn’t say anything. When he came to drunkenly embrace me, I reacted faster than I thought possible and snapped his neck. Well, not just snapped. He landed face down, but his eyes, the utter shock not yet faded from them, were staring straight up at the ceiling.  
  
“I heard, then, a small, gleeful laugh from behind me. When I spun around, ready to attack any witnesses, I saw Lerian and quickly dropped my defenses. I didn’t know what to say or how to act. Lerian was beautiful. Not handsome, but beautiful. He had this wonderfully long and shiny black hair and a way of holding himself. I can’t even describe it, but I knew that I was so very below this being. And I can’t even imagine why he chose me of all people.  
  
“But he opened his arms and smiled at me. Closing the distance between us was the most natural thing I had ever done in my life. I felt so at peace in his arms. Perhaps there was some vampire magic at work there, but looking back, I don’t regret it. When we kissed, everything was so...right. Everything was good in the world.  
  
“He married me the next day. It took place in a strange castle on an island near the coast of Skyrim. I couldn’t get back there now even if I wanted to. The marriage was a small affair. I knew no one, but everyone acted as if I was part of the family.  
  
“It was also where I met a vampire by the name of Lord Harkon. He was the owner of the castle as far as I could tell. He demonstrated for me an amazing power. Something he had named ‘Vampire Lord.’ I watch him transform into a terrifying beast before my eyes. I was frightened, but intrigued.  
  
“’My dear, girl,’ he said to me, ‘I can tell you are no commoner and certainly a high-born young woman. I am inclined to grant you this power, but I must see you demonstrate control of your current powers first. Your new husband will show you the way. Come to me when you can show me mastery of the gift of the vampire.’  
  
“It was so strange, but my new husband was more than prepared to teach me. There was an Argonian vampire by the name of Deech-Lak. He was incredibly skilled with using his powers. I remember going to fight him and ending up on my backside more than once. The pain and embarrassment was…terrible. I was a proud, high-born lady and sparring was not something I was used to.  
  
“’Why do I have to learn to fight?’ I asked my husband, ‘I’m never going to use this!’  
  
“’You’re going to live a long, long time,’ he said, placing a finger under my chin and bringing my lips to meet his for a quick kiss, ‘You’re going to have to learn to survive.’  
  
“I kept up with the training. Day after day, I was knocked on my ass. And one day, Lerian told me that everyone has a weakness. Once you take away that one asset to them, they have nothing. Finally, I was able to beat that Argonian. I kicked out his tail and when he swung around, he was on the ground. It took me a year. I was so…proud.  
  
“My husband took me in his arms on that day and kissed me. I had never felt better. I had never been so dependent on someone else’s approval. I was completely dependent on him, actually. And his pride was all I needed then.  
  
“Lerian took me to Harkon and Harkon turned me into a vampire lord. The amount of power I felt surging through me in that moment was incredible. I felt amazing. I felt like I was invulnerable.  
  
“After that, I only wanted more. I asked my husband for help and for the next ten years, I trained in swords, hand-to-hand, stealth, and archery. He was always finding creative ways to teach me. There was a wood elf in Valenwood who had no name. She taught me to hunt and to shoot a bow. But she was blind. She blindfolded me when we went out, every day, for two years. And by the end of it, I was incredible. I couldn’t miss. But there was a lot of bumping in to trees and tripping. I got over my ego pretty quickly. The most important thing he taught me was how to use my rage to motivate myself into battle, not fuel my punches.” She took another sip of her wine. “I loved that man. He was so kind. But so terrifying at the same time.”  
  
“So what happened to him?” This time it was a blonde woman who spoke. She was sitting a bit further away at a separate table, but clearly not out of earshot.


	3. North Wind Massacre

“For about twenty years, Lerian had been using his vampiric suggestive powers to convince the Count of Bruma that he was his son. The old man named my husband his heir and, upon his death in 4E 83, we arrived in Bruma and established ourselves and the Count and Countess. People took to us quickly. Lerian had done a lot to make us look proper. He bought me nice clothes and made sure I always wore makeup and had my hair brushed. The people of the city took to me quickly. And I began to love the city. I took to the role of Countess quickly. I loved the city. It was always dark there and very Nordic. There was this marvelous statue of the hero of the Oblivion Crisis. My husband spoke fondly of him. It still amazed me that he knew him. 

“I began to worry about my soul. I had killed my husband and married the man who enabled it. From what I had learned about him, he was not the kind of man I should have much love for. And even after learning about the people he killed and the things that he did…I still loved him. 

“Our town was beautiful. Within it was the Great Chapel of Talos. I began to worship him and soon, he became my main god. I never felt to loved. The priests and priestesses there were so incredibly welcoming. They knew what I was. They knew my sins. What they told me was that Talos was an outsider among the other divines, and he accepted all who were different. He was a warrior and killing for a noble cause was looked upon as honorable. I felt loved in the temple. 

“Whenever I prayed to Talos, I felt a sense of purpose. And I worshipped with all my heart. I would give speeches every Sundas at the large and extravagant services we held. And I felt so much love for everyone and from everyone. I was happy at last. Today, Skyrim is so divided. There is so much distrust of outsiders. Cyrodiil was like that, too. But in Bruma, we were accepting. I loved my Nord citizens as much as my Imperial citizens. I would dine with travelers and learn their stories. It was divine. I had never lived such a pleasant and peaceful life. 

“Of course, even then, there were problems with elves choosing not to accept Talos. Occasionally, we’d find the temple vandalized. But we’d work hard to clean it all up. We’d fix it all. Everything would be okay. And I was so stupid to think it could last. 

“I grew to accept my husband. And it was clear that he loved me deeply. We were a handsome couple, and anyone would tell you that. Both of us had long dark hair and pale skin. We looked like we could be related, but somehow it made us look even more perfect as a couple. 

“But,” Lilace took a deep breath and looked down at her empty cup, “All good things have to end at some point. 

“It was the fifteenth of Evening Star, 4E 97. The entire city had gathered in the Chapel to pray together, as we did every North Winds Prayer. My husband and I were dressed in blue and gold. My advisor, Isadril, was at my side the whole time with her child. The High Priestess Lillika welcomed us. I remember it all so clearly. Lerian stepped up first and thanked everyone for coming he said something along the lines of, ‘On this day, North Winds Prayer, we thank all nine of the Divines for a mild winter and bountiful harvest. And we especially are here to thank Talos, the patron of our city. We, as a city, are as strong and as powerful as Talos reminds us we should be. I, for one would like to take a moment to tell you all that I am so grateful that you are all here. And today is not just about the gods, but about all of you. We live in a frigid city. Although the gods have blessed us with a plentiful harvest and spared us from a harsh winter, it was you who woke up early in the spring and sowed the seeds that we would harvest throughout the summer and fall. It was you who braved the winter and the storms. And it is you here today that have come together, most humbly, to thank the divines. So while I may be thanking Talos and all of the Nine, I must also thank you, our farmers and merchants and tavern working; our blacksmiths and clothes weavers and carpenters. You are the reason we are here tonight and I encourage you to share your love with everyone around you. None of us live forever, but our lives would have been much shorter if not for you.’ 

“People applauded him, whatever he said. I wish I could replicate his speech-giving skills. It’s something that I have only seen a few people manage, being able to give a speech like that. What made everything worse was that he did it all off the cusp. 

“Lillika next welcomed me up and I began to give my own speech. I can still remember it, if you can imagine. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys, girls, and everyone here tonight, thank you. Thank you for being here and thank you for working so hard the rest of the year. In ten days we will be celebrating Saturalia, and that will be a most wonderful time, but I know planning these festivities can be time consuming, so it really means a lot to me, my husband, and this chapel that you are all here with us tonight. 

“’Years ago, Talos, a simple mortal man ascended to the position of a god. By doing this, he has shown us that we all have the ability to strive for greatness. We are all his children and no matter who you are or what you are or how different you are, you can achieve anything. Whether you are the strongest Nord warrior or a young beggar, you can do whatever you believe you can, because you are all amazing to him. 

“’A man founded an empire. A man learned to speak like a dragon. And a man became a god. Today, we offer our thanks to the Nine for accepting us and all our flaws, for protecting us, for guiding us. We thank them for letting us live every day, and we remember that when we die, we will go to a better place, wherever that may be, because the gods are merciful and they look down upon us with love.’ And, at that point in my speech, the door was thrown open and a small group of high elves walked in. I continued going, assuming they were travelers late for the service. But while I was looking upon the faces of the citizens in the front row, I was suddenly pushed out of the way. I landed hard on the floor and scrambled to pick myself up, immediately confused as to what was going on. 

“The first thing I was aware of was the elven visitors at the door, leading in by a chain a werewolf. My citizens began to gasp and scream. I turned then to see my husband on the floor with an arrow through his heart. He was motionless and I knew again I was staring death in the face. 

“I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I listened to the words one of them said. ‘Talos has no place among the Divines. No man can ascend to the level of god. This entire service is an insult to all mer. Renounce your god now and you may survive.’ 

“’No elf will tell me who I can and can’t worship! You’re not welcome here!’ yelled a Nord man trying to protect his child. It was these words that snapped me back into reality. 

“I rose and approached them which, in hindsight, was a terrible idea. But at the moment, seemed right. ‘You come into my city and kill my husband. You try to kill me. You are not welcome here, friends. If you have something to discuss, we can discuss it in a peaceful way. And in a quieter place.’ 

“’Please,’ begged one of the priestesses, ‘Please just leave! It’s a holiday! There are children here!’ 

“One of them grabbed her and began yelling at her for being a heretic. None of us knew what to do. I yelled for the guards, but they were too late. The young priestess fell back into my arms, dead. She had been stabbed in the heart. 

“What happened next was chaos. I was surrounded by the sounds of screaming and horror. I looked down at my hands and my robes. I was soaked in the blood of the priestess. I watched as the werewolf slaughtered my guards and the elves dragging children away from their parents. I snapped at that moment and transformed into a vampire lord. I dashed at the werewolf first. My fist went straight through his chest. As he slumped over to the ground, I revealed myself for who I was. 

“I slaughtered all of the elves had arrived in the church. I made it bloody and brutal. But in my rage, I didn’t know where they had come from. Still, a third of my citizens had been killed. My husband lay dead in the chapel. I went into mourning along with the city. My citizens feared me. I had no choice but to leave, leaving Isadril as Countess. 

“I searched for a culprit for a while, but all I could glean was that they were likely a small radical group that had nothing to do with the Aldmiri Dominion. This was in a time before anyone could foresee a war like we got. No one imagined the Altmer would actually go as far as banning the worship of Talos. No one believed they could. 


	4. The Guild

“The next two years were…strange. The tail end of the first century was marked by the disappearance of our moons. I, honestly, have no idea what happened, to this day. But it was just weird, not having the moons there anymore. And I couldn’t make sense of it. 

“In 4E 98, I found myself here in Riften. Of course, it was a much more impressive town at that time. It was really the port that it was meant to be. 

“Two years later, after the Thalmor claimed they had returned the moons, I met a young man in the market. He was a smiley fellow. A classic example of a Nord with broad shoulders and long blonde hair. 

“’So tell me, what’s a pretty little Imperial like you doing in the market?’ he asked me. 

“’Leaving other people alone,’ I answer with a scowl. 

“’Aww, don’t be like that, my little nightingale. I just want to help you out,’ 

“’I’m not your little nightingale or anything like that. And what could you possibly think I need help with?’ 

“’Your purse. It’s a little light.’ 

“’Oh, and how would you know?’ But before I could walk off, he held up my coin purse. I reached for it on my side, not believing he actually took it, but it wasn’t there. My jaw just about hit the floor. I grabbed for it out of his hands. 

“He pulled it out of my reach. ‘Oh, not so fast, nightingale. You want it back, you’re going to have to earn it back.’ 

“’What do you think I’m going to do?’ 

“’You’re going to help me steal from the Jarl.’ 

“It sounded ridiculous to me at the time, but for some reason I cannot fathom, I agreed. And we did do it. And I enjoyed it. We kept this up for a rather long time until we got cocky one day and had to run from the guards. We found ourselves running from the guards and with nowhere else to run, we both jumped into the well. Instead of finding ourselves stuck in a pit, we found a hue cavern that was clearly left over from the old castle keep that used to be on top of Riften. It was clear to us at the time that it was a dungeon. These areas all around here, at the time, were rusted iron bars with skeletons still inside, chained to the walls. There was a huge area over there,” Lilace pointed towards the area behind the bar, “Filled with cells. And beyond that, erm, dresser…well, at the time, there was only a small room with a hallway that led nowhere. It was something that was being built, that was clear, but never finished. It was now abandoned and forgotten. 

“My companion’s name was Belatar White-Fire. He had this fascination with the Thieves Guild which had long since vanished from Skyrim. When he saw this rundown mess, he immediately had dreams for a tavern, a place for thieves to gather, unionize, and work together. He was thinking jailbreakers, fences, infiltrators…he imagined, well,” she motioned to the Flagon. 

“Are you telling me that you founded the Thieves Guild?” came another voice. This time from a bald man who sauntered over to the bar, “It’s an incredible story, girlie, but it ain’t true. This ‘ere Guild was founded by three men named—“

“Yes, by three men all named Bel. Belatar, Belmir, and Belitald. True. I knew all of them. Good men. And, no, I didn’t not found the Thieves Guild. I found the Thieves Guild and by that I mean I literally fell into the Guild through that hole up there,” she pointed, “But other than that, I wanted nothing to do with it.”

“Are you disrespecting me, girl?” 

“Not at all. But I’m not here to tell legends. I’m not lying.” 

“I’ll only call you a liar if you’re lyin’ to me.” 

“Alright, that’s enough of that,” the blonde woman rolled her eyes, “Alright, Del? We all know you could kick her out of here if you wanted. But I’m inclined to let her tell her story.” 

“If that’s what you want, Vex, that’s what you want.” 

The rest of them turned back to her and waited for her to continue. “Sorry. What was I saying? Oh, Belatar’s dream. Well, he met up with Belmir and Belitald and started this Guild. Or, rather, he reestablished it. It was the year 4E 103 when he came to my door one day and asked me to see what they had become. And it was absolutely beautiful. I was shocked at what they had done is so little time. But these men were ambitious, to say the least. 

“Belatar asked me to join, saying that I was probably one of the worst thieves he’d ever met, but I was still good company, and they needed more of that. To be honest, I was a good sneak, but I couldn’t pick a lock or a pocket. And when it came to running away, I was never very quiet. Hiding was my specialty. And fighting? Belatar dueled me once. The terms of the duel were that if I lost, I would join the Guild, and if I won, Belatar would leave the Guild and go anywhere I went and do whatever I said. I had been taught by Lerian how to look beautiful and graceful while fighting, but Bela found all my weaknesses. 

“When we began our fight, I took out two short swords and elegantly flipped them around before taking my stance. It took me about a second to realize he had taken the time when I was elegantly unsheathing my blades to throw a dagger and disarm my left hand. He used my moment of distracting to get behind me, grab my wrist and knock me to my knees, disarming me again. 

“’Rule number one,’ he grinned, ‘Don’t give your opponent more to work with than you have to.’ 

“I got back up and recovered my swords. We tried again. This time, I stayed focused on him. However, I lost that focus when a dagger I didn’t even see him take out came whizzing past my head. A moment later, my hair was tangled in his hand. ‘Rule number two,’ he said, ‘Know your weaknesses and minimize them.’ 

“The third time I had my hair pulled back and prepared once more for a fight. This time, he stayed very still. Eventually, I ran for him, slashing at him, but he dodged quickly and hit me in the stomach which I hadn’t been prepared to guard. When I recovered, I lunged for him, hitting his armor, but realized I had been tricked when he grabbed me by the arm and flipped me onto my back. ‘Rule number three,’ he was grinning ear to ear, ‘know when to strike, when to wait, and when to let your opponent hit you so you can hit them harder.’ 

“I was angry with him then, grabbing him and pulling him down to the ground so I could pin him there, but he was stronger than me and quickly turned it around. I remember not being able to move an inch. He laughed and planted a gentle kiss on my nose, whispering, ‘welcome to the Guild.’ 

“If you can believe it, this place was bustling with the best thieves in only five years. Belmir and Belitald both retired from the Guild to live a rich and happy life. It’s all they ever wanted. But for Belatar, this was his baby. He was the Guild Master and he loved every second of it. We were the top dog. There was very little reason to hide anymore. We walked the streets like royalty. I was Belatar’s beautiful comrade, always by his side. He bought me lovely dresses and gave me beautiful jewelry to wear. People feared us, people loved us. When there was a problem, people came to us. We taxed everyone, even the Jarl. And everyone did what they said. 

“In 4E 109, Belatar asked me to marry him. I said yes. I had fallen in love with him. I had always loved powerful men. And he was the most powerful man in Riften. Our ceremony was beautiful. The entire town attended. To be honest, what was better was the sex afterwards. After that, I often regretted being unable to give him a child as a vampire.”


End file.
